Awkward

  I like to think that everyone goes through an "awkward stage". I like to think this especially because my awkward stage was pretty dang bad, complete with baggy clothes, horrible acne, and a haircut that hadn't been cool in ten years.

  George was in this stage himself. He had thick glasses that the other kids made fun of, his weekends were spent at the local library where he sat alone, and he was in love with the most popular girl in school who had never once thought of, let alone noticed George. One day after school, he saw her sitting alone, snapping her gum, and looking forlornly over the ocean blue. But when she turned and saw him, she gave a small smile.
  "Now's my chance!" George thought, warm fuzzies shooting through his body. He sidled up over to her and, after five minutes of clearing his throat, he said, "Are you okay? You looked kind of sad sitting over here all by yourself."
  "I'm alright now." She said, still smiling. "Seeing you made me feel better."
  "Why's that?" George asked, his heart thrumming.
  "Well, it put things into perspective, I guess. Yeah, I live in a trailer, and my mom's new boyfriend borrows all our saving funds, and yeah, I'm flunking in every subject and I just found out my boyfriend is cheating on me. But at least I've never gotten my legs all tangled up and looked like a complete dufus in front of the entire school."
  The warm fuzzies short circuited. George looked down, turned red, then fled away. The experience so traumatized him, he decided to become a delinquent, hanging around beach shores, and stinging anyone who was foolish enough to venture close enough.
  Be nice to the awkward kids.